Sindh asks Rangers not to overstep authority

KARACHI: A day after PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari warned the military leadership that if it did not stop “character assassination of my party” he would expose the ‘misdeeds’ of many generals, the Sindh government on Wednesday accused the Rangers of “acting beyond their authority” in Karachi.

Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah wrote a letter to Maj Gen Bilal Akbar, Director General of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, reminding him of the paramilitary force’s mandate for maintaining law and order in Karachi, referring to recent actions by his men in violation of the mandate and seeking his intervention to keep them within ‘limits’.

“The deployment of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, in Karachi is requisitioned under Article 147 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, and under Clause 1 of Sub-section 3 of Section 4 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, authorised to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, or scheduled offences in notified area for the punishment of terrorist in accordance with the provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997,” said the letter, whose copy was also sent to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Called in 1989 to assist the police in Karachi by the then PPP-led government amid a deteriorating law and order situation, the Rangers started enjoying more powers in 2009 — again extended by PPP-led governments both in the centre and the province, which allowed the force to search houses and arrest suspects without warrants.

However, the PPP government in Sindh appears aggressive after recent moves by the Rangers in Karachi. Rangers personnel in balaclavas paid a ‘visit’ to the head office of the Sindh Building Control Authority this week, held a meeting with its chief and collected ‘relevant details’ about unlawful allotment of land and illegal construction on encroached areas over the past decade.

However, the letter — which was shared with the media by the CM House — called the action a ‘raid’.

“However, it has been reported that offices of Karachi Building Control Authority (SBCA) and Lines Area Development Project (LADP) were raided on 15.6.2015 and the officers and officials were harassed and waylaid and also mishandled,” said Mr Shah’s letter.

The chief minister’s annoyance over Rangers actions emerged hours after an outburst by his party’s co-chairman Asif Zardari, who warned the military establishment of ‘dire consequences’ if any action was taken against the PPP.

Mr Shah demanded that the Rangers chief in Sindh ‘limit’ his men in accordance with the rules.

“This [raids on SBCA and LADP offices] reflects that Pakistan Rangers is acting beyond their authorities and mandate as per law assigned specifically in notification of 10.9.2009 issued by the home department, government of Sindh,” the letter said.

“It is therefore advised to cease such unacceptable role beyond notified mandate requiring you to limit the movement in accordance.”